Thank You
by Tiian
Summary: There are many reasons to say thank you in life. Short stories of LuffyxRobin. Read at own risk, will contain SPOILERS.
1. Her Wings of Freedom

**Her Wings of Freedom**  
One Piece

Lyrics: Home made kazoku – Thank you!  
(Ending song in Bleach, lyrics from the full version.)  
Disclaimer: I own neither One Piece nor the song "Thank You!".  
Made after chapter 391 in manga.

_**Tasogare no machi ga akaku somaru koro  
Nanigenaku michi wo aruiteita  
Ikikau hito no mure ga masu gogo  
Nantonaku tachidomattemita  
Potsuri to aita kokoro no sukima  
Umeruyouni ugoita keitai no mana-  
Kimi wa hitori ja nai hora mina  
Tagai ni sasaeatteku no sa**_

_If he... If he comes here then he will be alone against the entire CP9! He will without a doubt die! I can't let that happen! No matter what I need to say... I will push him away!_

(From manga ch390 own loose translation, not necessarily accurate.)

R: "Why did you come to rescue me! When did I ever ask you to do that! I... I just want to die!"

L: "To die!"

R: "That's right."

L: "Robiiiin, you want to die? Well you see Robin, since we have already come this far, we will save you anyway. And then, if you still want to die do so at that time. So please Robin, to die or whatever... No matter what you will say I won't mind but those kind of things... Say them while you are with us!"

"That's right Robin-chan!"

"Come back!"

L: "Leave the rest to us!"

_**Fuantei na mirai ga kowakute  
Yandeita boku ni mukatte  
Nani mo iwazu ni sotto te wo  
Sashinobetekureru kimi ga ita  
Kanashimi ga hanbun ni natta  
Yorokobi wa nibai ni fukuranda  
Gyaku no tachiba ni nattra sugusama  
Soba made kaketsukeru to chikatta**_

It was warm.

So warm that it reached the ends of her body, her soul and her heart. For the first time in 20 years she felt free, warm and... cared for. Her existence was not chained to the ground anymore. Her wings were loosened from the ropes and spread wide to catch the wind.

She had the right to be here, she was wanted here. That feeling had been rare even before the Buster Call so many years ago but now it filled her with such warmth that she was burning deep inside.

Her eyes were watering and she allowed them to. She allowed the held back tears to fall down her cheeks.

"It is alright...? For me... to be here?" She whispered with a smile, already knowing the answer but just searching for confirmation her soul graved to hear.

He laughed. "Of course."

She knew that his mouth was probably spread into a wide grin at the moment and his eyes were sparkling with life. Her arms tightened around his neck and she snuggled as close as she could get. To his warmth.

It was life she realized.

The warmth that he had, the warmth that was flowing into her... it was life.

Even now when she had no strength left to even stand she felt more alive than ever in her life. Now that she was leaving the Enies Lobby with her friends. The first real friends she had ever had, friends that supported and fought for her. Risked their lives willingly for hers.

And he...

He had done the unthinkable and attacked the entire World Government just for her. Just for her sake. And no matter how she had yelled, how she had pushed him away he had not wavered. He had fought and been hurt because of her and still he extended his hand to her, to pull her to him.

Where did he get so much strength?

_**Hito wa dare mo hitori de wa ikiteikeya shinai  
Tagai wa tagai wo itsumo keyashiai  
Igai dekinai toki wa hanashiai  
Harakakaeru kurai waraiaitai  
Nanoni naze kou toki ni kenashiai  
Kizutsukiauno tte ki gashinai  
Bakabakashii kurai kimi ga suki da  
Terekusai kedo chotto honki da**_

Her place in life...

She had finally found it. After years of desperate searching and despair she had finally reached that place. Her place was on this ship with these people who all cared for her in their own way, all of whom were ready to die for her. She was their friend, his nakama.

And most of all her place was with him...

Since the first moment she had laid her eyes on him she had been interested. On that ship carrying the Arabasta's princess she had tried to stir up emotions and see if she could make them do as she said and fool them to go to Nanimonai. It had been just for fun since the island was what it was. Playing on people's emotions was easy but he had not been fooled. Whether it had been instinct, stubbornness or brilliance, he had not been affected. He had given her a hard look and she had known that there was more to him than one could see at a first glance.

So from the shadows she had tried her best to help and support him. He was so strong, so unwavering in his decisions. He fought so bravely and so selflessly that she could not stop admiring him. She wanted to keep watching him, to see all the interesting ideas he came up with.

There was so much life in him. Even when he was on the brink of death.

The refusal to die. The iron will to help those he cared about.

And he saved her.

When she had been in the crumbling catacomb in Arabasta she had given up her will. She had been ready to die, tired of the countless battles, tired of trying to find the pieces of history only to find weapons and destruction, tired of the constant loneliness that haunted her day and night.

She had fought for her right to die and he had not listened to her at all. He had pulled her free of the danger and then just left her there. Without a place to go.

She had hated him then. He had forced her to live, to continue the struggle she had thought she could escape with death. He was to blame so he was to suffer the coinquenses of his actions. She had not needed long to find their boat, not long to hide there waiting for them. It had been a long time waiting for them, too many thoughts had haunted her there in the darkness.

Using all the confidence and hiding all her nervousness, she had stepped fort to claim a place for herself.

And he had taken her in without a second thought. He had just smiled to his friends and defended her when they disagreed. He had given her a place in life and showed her what happiness, companionship, caring and support were.

Without questions asked he had given her a status of his nakama. To him a nakama was a person he would help and defend against whoever wanted to harm them. Marine, pirate, king... To him titles meant nothing.

He had given her everything she had ever wanted and so she could not hate him anymore.

Through adventures, battles and everyday life she had watched him. He was a truly strong person and not only in battles. He had a charm that made everything revolve around him. No matter how stupid things he said or did, no matter how much they laughed and mocked him...

None of them would ever abandon him. In return he would never abandon anyone of them. The trust between them, the confidence they had in each other was something she doubted that could be broken. They respected him no matter how he acted because in the end they knew he would pull through anything for them.

She wanted to be a part of it. Part of this strange crew.

She wanted his trust, his attention, his...

When Aokiji had suddenly showed up, she had been terrified. Her entire body had stopped functioning and she had barely been able to speak. If this man was their enemy, they could not win. Because of her they were now in grave danger.

His angry reaction had been a surprise until she heard him claim how he would not allow Aokiji to take her. He had noticed her fear, sensed her terror and reacted instantly. She had never dared view herself as a true member of his crew but he obviously had.

His immediate reaction to his nakama being in danger was the fierce will to protect them no matter what.

Now he was ready to fight him for her...

He was ready to fight to death to prevent Aokiji from hurting or taking her. Ready to die for her. But... She didn't want to lose him. She didn't want him to die.

Aokiji had been fast in realizing who he really was and how dangerous he could become. His grandfather was someone who would haunt him all of his life...

It wasn't really a wonder he had not told anyone about it, no wonder that he became so nervous when Aokiji mentioned him.

Then he had spoken of the past, her past. Everything she had tried to put behind her, everything she could never forget. He tried to turn them against her.

Suddenly she had been afraid. This life... she didn't want to lose it!

She had attacked him in her desperation and then everything had turned to cold darkness.

In the end he had still been the one to protect her. She had heard about it. After she had been frozen, he had first saved her and then fought with everything he had until he too had been enclosed in ice. He had saved her. Again.

And she had been able to resume the happy life she was living with them although the shadow of Aokiji had never left her in complete peace.

Until the CP9 had appeared before her in Water Seven and she had lost everything.

She had pushed them away, tried her hardest to protect them no matter the cost to herself or to the world. She had given up her own life, again.

And he had come after her, again.

He refused to leave her be, he refused to allow her to sacrifice herself, he... didn't leave her alone.

No matter what she said or did she could not shake him. She could not get him to believe that she wanted to die. Could he see it? Had he noticed it?

Her happiness, her will... They all lay in him. As long as he wanted her to live, she wanted to live.

After he had saved her in Arabasta and she had spent more and more time with him, she had started to...  
Trust him.  
Respect him.  
Believe in him.  
Like him.

And with time her feelings had deepened to the point of being painful. She could not deny it.

She had fallen in love with him. And with that feeling her despair was growing. He could not die! She would not allow him to! She would willingly give up her life to save him!

But her resolution had been broken. He had broken right through it. No matter how much she wanted to die for him, he would not allow her to and as long as he held that attitude she could not let herself die.

She had a value in his eyes. He had given her life. She could not deny him long and finally she had just accepted it. He would not allow her to die. That was just how he was, she could not do anything about. So all she could do now was fight with him and guard his back. All she could do was go to him.

All she could do was love him and be happy. She jumped into the air and for the first time ever she laid weight on her unused wings...

_**Kitto minna igai to shai de men to mukatte  
Nakanaka kuchi ni dashite ienakute  
Dakedo honto wa iitai kuse ni  
Nanika ga jama shite mina tsuyogatte  
Toki ni sarakedashite tsutaeyou  
Kotoba ni wa fushigi na chikara ga yadoru yo  
Kantan na koto sa jibun kara mazu hajimeyou  
Kitto dekiru yo**_

Her heart was light.

He was there to support her, to carry her on if her wings ever failed. She was not alone anymore. He would not abandon her nor toss her aside. She had gained her place in this strange crew of his. She could not be happier. The wind of happiness under her wings would take her far from her former misery.

"Thank you!" She yelled to them from the bottom of her soul and was rewarded with wide smiles from all of them.

"Thank you..." She whispered to him from the bottom of her heart. He just chuckled and tightened his hold of her.

And Luffy carried her on his back away from the nightmare to the light.

_**Itsumo sasaetekureru hitotachi ni  
Higoro no omoi wo kometa rhapsody  
Appreciation na kimochi yo todoke  
Itsumo arigatou honto arigatou  
Tatoe doko ni itatte kimi no sonzai ni kanshashiteru yo**_


	2. In His Shadow

**

* * *

**

**In His Shadow**  
One Piece

Disclaimer: I own neither One Piece.  
Made after chapter 391 in manga.

* * *

She had wondered about it for a while now.

He had changed. Or more specifically he now acted differently towards Robin. Before he showered both of them with equal attention and stupid jokes but recently he had pulled back when it came to her.

He still defended her, made special food for her but he didn't call her with chan or swan or any other stupid honorific he had come with. Instead she was now Robin-san all the time.

It was strange. Strange enough to make her curious to the reason.

"Sanji-kun, do you have a moment?" She asked one day when the rest of the crew had already left the kitchen.

His eyes were immediately on her shining. "For you I always have time, Nami-swaaaaaan!"

She smiled and leaned slightly towards him. "I have been wondering about something... Has something happened between you and Robin-san? I mean you have been acting different around her lately..."

To her surprise his eyes lost that familiar shine and gained some seriousness. That made her even more curious and sure that something had happened. Perhaps he had confessed for real and things had not went well...

He left the dishes and sat down lighting his smoke. Usually she tended to scold him for smoking inside but this time she let it pass. She wanted to know what had happened to change the atmosphere around them so much.

He seemed to wonder what to say and she didn't feel the need to hurry him. She could wait as long as an answer was offered in the end.

"I don't want to be in her way." He finally said.

She blinked at the unexpected answer. "What do you mean?"

He breathed out smoke and then seemed to realize that he was inside and stumped the smoke.

"She is in love."

Nami blinked again and her mouth fell open. "In love?" She stuttered out. It was a hard thing to imagine. That cool and calm woman in love.

Sanji nodded. "Yes. And since I am not the one she feels for I felt that it was best for her if I backed down a little."

Nami was silent. It made sense since he always thought of their best. He was selfless when it came to the women he cared for. But there was a more pressing matter on her mind than the workings of his brains. "Who?"

He shook his head. "It is her business. He doesn't know and she doesn't want him to know. It is not my business to tell or interfere."

After that he refused to tell her more, not even her most revealing clothes gained her answers. So all she could do was observe. Robin was such a closed off person that she could not imagine that she would have told him anything which meant that he had found out on his own.

And if he could do it so could she. Or so she had thought.

It had been four weeks now and she had not once noticed anything strange in Robin, no sign of loving feeling or strange behavior around anyone. It was getting frustrating. She almost hoped that she had never asked Sanji about her.

He also still refused to talk.

So in the end she gave up. Unless something happened there was no way she could look past her mask. Sanji was better at that, the man truly understood women. A weird thought considering his behavior around them.

Then one day after a shiny and hot day she found that she could not sleep. No matter how many times she rolled over she was nowhere nearer sleep. It was much too hot inside but perhaps she could find some relief on the deck.

She tucked her pillow under her arm, rose the ladders and headed for the door.

And almost screamed when a hand suddenly gripped hers. Her head swirled around and her eyes widened. "San--!" His hand muffled her voice.

"Shh... Don't make noise." He whispered and stepped back. She looked at him bewildered, not understanding a single thing. He sighed and nodded towards the door. Nami walked towards it quietly and looked out of the round window.

"No way!" She whispered. Her head spin towards Sanji. "Seriously?"

He came to her and looked outside himself. "Seriously."

She turned her head around and looked at the scenery with disbelief. "I can't believe this..."

Luffy was sitting on the deck and Robin was leaning against him, her back touching his, her arms hugging her knees. Neither seemed to be talking and this far she could not even tell if they were awake. Nothing happened, they just remained the same.

As time passed, she could not help getting restless.

"How long?" She finally asked when she could no longer handle the silence and stillness.

"How long what?" He said back.

"How long have they been together?" She asked, a little annoyed at having to repeat herself.

"They are not together."

"What?" Her eyes turned back to them. "But..."

Sanji took a peak at them too before turning back to Nami. "She loves him but what he feels, only he knows."

"Eh?"

"But..." His eyes were still on her. Unmoving and shadowed. She could not tell what he was thinking at all which was quite rare.

"She is happy as things are. There is happiness in her every smile, there is a shine of contentment in her eyes. She has found her place in the world."

"Her place..." Nami repeated slowly.

Sanji nodded. "After being alone all her life, after being hunted, used and hated... After living by sacrificing those around her, avoiding all emotional contact... It is no wonder she gave up. When we first met her she was empty. Smiling but miserable." There was sympathy in his eyes, as if he could feel her pain.

"Then after she joined our crew... She slowly began to feel. There was a change in her eyes, in her smile. I was happy to see her gaining some measure of happiness. She came to care about us."

"Enough to sacrifice the world for us..." Nami murmured.

"Yes but she also gave up everything she had gained to save us. Her smile became empty and her eyes miserable. She was back in the darkness and she wanted to die to leave it. Her happiness never lasts for long... So she gave up." His hand was fisted and he looked angry and pained.

She couldn't think of anything to say.

"And then he came. Luffy appeared before her and he gave it all back to her at Enies Lobby. He gave her friends and a place in his life. For the first time she knows that she is surrounded by strong people who are all there for her. She knows that he will be there for her." He smiled gently and she started to slowly understand just how well he understood Robin, someone she still couldn't read.

"For her... It was enough of a reason to love him. Or perhaps the love was there before too but I noticed it only after we had escaped from the headquarters." He turned to look outside and smiled.

"He understands her pain, suffering and loneliness and that is why he gave his back to her... Though it is truly his shadow that he gave her."

"Eh?" She blinked.

"I don't know if there will ever be anything more between them but I know that she will follow him in his shadow and he will allow her to be there for as long as she wants to be there. That way he has taken away all of her loneliness. She can't be alone anymore because he will never pull away from her. He will never go forward too fast for her but will stop to wait for her to catch up with him. She is his shadow and as such she will never be apart from him."

Sanji smiled. "She will not ask him what he feels because she has everything she needs to be happy. And he will not tell her because she does not want to know."

He turned from the window and started to walk away. "I will not interfere because there is no place for me between them. There is no place for any of us. We are his friends but she is now his shadow. It is the only place in the world for her. She can only survive there."

He stopped at the door she had came trough some moments ago. "So let it be."

She nodded.

"I will now go to sleep. You?"

She shook her head. "I will stay here for a while."

His steps were retreating inside and she turned to smile at him for a while. "Thank you... Sanji-kun. I think I can understand her a bit better now."

He only smiled back before disappearing inside the cabin.

She waited there for an hour more. Nothing changed, nothing happened but she felt somehow touched. She felt that she truly understood both of them better now. And Sanji as well.

Luffy was truly amazing person. She had known that he was different ever since the moment she had seen him battling a lion for the sake of a dog. Then he had surprised her over and over again until at the Arlong Park he had saved her. At that moment she had thanked the Gods, she didn't believe in, for allowing them to meet.

It must be the same for Robin too. She too had been saved thanks to him. At one point or another he had saved all of them and given them back their dreams.

For her it had been at the Arlong Park as he had destroyed the place she hated and beat up the one person she hated more than anything. She had been freed and given a chance to fulfill her dream.

He had given her back everything that Arlong had taken from her.

She could understand Robin for feeling for him. She had never been truly alone but Robin had been. Luffy was probably the first person to pay attention to her, to save her and to accept her. It must have hit her hard. To have someone willing to go to any lengths for you, chasing after you to the end of the world...

"Thank you Luffy." She whispered for all of them and went to give sleep another try.


	3. Christmas in Your Heart

**Christmas in your heart**

One Piece

Disclaimer: I own neither One Piece.

Made after chapter 400 in manga.

* * *

"Here!"

Nami could not help but sigh and take the present. Since the first time someone had mentioned the word Christmas, Luffy had been interested. And their luck had been awful since the next island had been full of celebrations as well.

_He_ had been more excited than they had seen for a while, running around the cities listening to people and their stories with child-like wonder. Then he had run to her to borrow money.

She should have said _no_ even if it would spoil his mood. But she had been weak and loaned him some money with interest. Not even to stop his madness had she been able to say no to a change to earn money.

She looked down the package wrapped messily so that she could almost see what was inside.

It was surprising. She had to admit that he must have really thought about what to get to her since what she found inside the wrapping was a new pen and paper for drawing maps. She had one set already, more expensive than this one but...

She appreciated it all the same.

"Thank you Luffy." She said with a smile and he chuckled before going to find his next nakama.

New kitchen knives for Sanji.  
A sharpening stone for Zoro.  
A new set of glasses to his lab for Chopper who accepted them with tears in his eyes.  
Usopp got himself a new set of basic repairing tools. Though rather than use them to fix the ship, he would probably use them for his strange weapons.

All in all they were surprised to get such fitting presents. Perhaps they were the easiest things to buy but still it showed some insight... Some.

But the hardest person remained. What had Luffy gotten for Robin?

When he took the last present from his bag they all knew what it was immediately.

A book.

For the first time Nami felt a bit nervous. Robin did read a lot but no one really knew her taste in books and what she had not read yet. Buying a book for her was a risky choice but she could not expect more from Luffy.

Well, it was the thought that mattered...

Luffy walked calmly inside the cabin to find her and Nami prayed that he had not bought something embarrassing for her.

* * *

---- ---- ---- 

Robin was reading. She had enjoyed it since she was a child and the amount of information she had learned from books during her life was enormous. It was something she actually took some pride in, being the most well-read person in this crew. Nami came in good second though.

"Rooobiiiiin!"

She raised her eyes from the book and smiled at him. "Here." She said and he soon appeared into the room. He was smiling and looking very excited. It wasn't rare.

"Here!" He extended a package to her.

Her eyes widened. She knew that he had been interested in the tradition of this island-group called Christmas but...

"For me?" She asked hesitantly. She could not remember when she had last got a present without any hidden intentions. She stared at the package, a book most probably and he nodded pushing it into her hands.

"Thank... you..." She said, hesitant as to how one should answer in this situation. He chuckled like he often did when he knew something he thought others didn't. Happy and free.

"You're welcome." Then he sat down before her. His eyes were staring at her, his feet hitting the floor impatiently. He was waiting for something as patiently as he could.

She directed her gaze to the present and slowly opened the wrapping. A book like she had thought. She had not read this one but that was because the title promised it to be useless.

_Archeology for beginners_ was not something that would teach anything to her but the thought that he had chosen this for her, just for her, warmed her heart.

She leafed through it absentmindedly when she noticed that something was inside the book. A bookmark perhaps. The paper was old, folded in four to fit inside. She took it and opened the wraps.

The book fell from her lap. Her eyes widened and watered.

_WANTED  
Dead or Alive  
Nico Olivia_

It was a wanted poster of her mother.

A tear slid down her cheek and her hands shook. She had never seen this nor had she ever had any kind of picture of her mother before.

"She looks just like you."

She raised her eyes from the poster to look at Luffy. The smile on his face was gentle and rare since it lacked all mischief usually hidden in there. He rose and laid a hand on her head for a while. "Merry Christmas."

Then he walked away without waiting for her to answer and she turned her eyes back to the image of her mother. He was right. She looked like her. The hair was different but eyes and face were very much alike.

She had never had anything to remember her by... Not any photo, not anything she might have used in her life... He had given her something she had longed for for 20 years. And she loved him for it.

Her throat felt tight but she managed to muster few words into the emptiness...

"Thank you... Luffy..."


End file.
